Mouthpiece for bottle-washers.



G. K. VOLGKENING. MOUTHPIEOE FOR BOTTLE WASHERS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19, 1910.

Patented July 19, 1910.

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CHARLES K. VOLCKENING, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MOUTHPIEGE FOR BOTTLE-WASHERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 19, 1910.

Patented July 19, 1910 Serial No. 538,817.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES K. VoLoKEN- ING, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented anew and Improved Mouthpiece for Bottle-lVashers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to bottle washing machinery, my more particular purpose being to improve the mouthpiece used in connection with revoluble ferrules and brushes for washing the inside of bottles.

More particularly stated I mount within the mouthpiece a revoluble sleeve supported on ball bearings, and adapted to turn with the revoluble ferrule in such a manner as to prevent any friction upon the brushes as the latter are rotated.

As is generally understood in this art, bottles are, in most industries, washed by aid of revoluble ferrules provided with folding arms carrying rubber brushes thereon, water being supplied through the ferrule and allowed to flow continuously under pressure into the bottle, while the ferrule rotates therein.

In order to introduce the brushes into the bottle, resort is usually had to a number of mouthpieces so arranged that when a ferrule is drawn in one direction it causes the brushes to fold-that is, swing toward each other, as the ferrule is drawn to the mouthpiece, then the bottles being in position, each ferrule rises and as it does so pushes the brushes (now folded) up into the bottle, the brushes swinging apart because of the spring mechanism associated with them; during all this time the brushes are turning rapidly.

lVith the mouthpiece heretofore employed, owing to the continuous rotation of the ferrules, the brushes carried by them are rapidly worn out because these brushes, during a considerable portion of the time, simply turn within the stationary sleeve portions of the mouthpiece. By my arrangement, the inner portion of the mouth piece turns bodily with the brushes on ball bearings, thereby preventing this friction of the brushes against the inside surface of the mouthpiece.

As bottle washing machinery is old, and well known, I do not deem it necessary to describe all parts of it, hence I will limit my description principally to the construction and action of the various parts immediately affected by my invention.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a central vertical section through a mouthpiece made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow; and Fig. 3 is a reduced section, otherwise somewhat similar to Fig. 1, and showing the appearance of the mouth piece and parts associated with it when a bottle engages the mouthpiece and the ferrule is ready to enter the bottle.

A horizontal plate 3 of metal is provided with a. number of openings, one of which is shown at a. Adjacent to each of these openings is a cylindrical cage 5 having at its bottom an annular disk 6, this disk being provided with an annular bearing 6*, and held in position by aid of lugs 6. A spiral spring 7 is mounted within the cage 5, the lower end of this spring resting upon the annular disk 6. A sleeve 8 has its upper end provided internally with a thread 9. This sleeve is further provided internally below its middle with an annular step 10. A flared ringll is provided with a threaded portion 12, which engages the upper thread ed portion 9 of the sleeve 8. The spring 7 presses upwardly against this flared ring 11. The flared ring 11 may readily be taken off the sleeve 8, and a new one substituted.

Disposed within the sleeve 8 and concentric to the same is a smaller sleeve 13, provided with reduced ends 14:, 15, these ends being slightly rounded inside as .will be understood from Fig. 1. At 16, 17, are annular cones mounted rigidly within the sleeve 8. At 20, 21, are annular cones carried by the inner sleeve 18, and rigid relatively to the same. Between the cones 16, 20, are balls 18, and between the cones 17, 2 1, are balls 19. The cones and balls thus arranged together constitute a pair of ball bearings located at opposite ends of the inner sleeve 13. The sleeve 8 is provided with openings 22, communicating with a lower chamber 23, for the purpose of discharging the water with which the bottle is :to be washed. At 24: is a threaded nut which fits into the lower end of the sleeve the neck of each bottle resting upon the flared ring 11, which for the moment happens to be associated with it. A slightyielding of the spiral spring 7 compensates for any superfluous length of the bottle, or lack of adjustment of the bottle; that is to say, if one bottle happens to be a little longer than the others or happens to be improperly adjusted so as to extend a little lower than the others, all that happens is a slight yielding of the flared ring 11 associated with the longest bottle or with the bottle out of adjustment. The stems 28 undergo a constant rotary movement, and the arms 27 are normally drawn down in the position indicated in Fig. 3; that is to say, Within the sleeve 13. Then, however, the bottles are in position, the plunger 28 rises so that the brushes 27 pass up to the 7 bottle neck, as indicated by dot-ted lines in Fig. 3, and as the brushes swing outwardly, the rotation being constant, and the water being supplied through the stem 28, in the usual manner, the bottle is effectively washed. The water supplied thus into the bottle finds its way downwardly, and out through the openings 22.

The mechanism above described with the exception of the sleeve 13, and its ball bearing mountings is old, and well known. My invention, therefore, relates principally to the sleeve 13 and its mountings. Each time the plunger 28 is drawn downwardly as indicated by full lines in Fig. 3, the brushes 27 are swung toward each other and drawn down into the sleeve 13. Since this sleeve is mounted so that it can turn with very little friction, it simply turns with the brushes, and ferrule. The instant the ferrule rises so that the brushes spread apart, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, the rotation of the sleeve 13 stops, or at least becomes inconsequential.

I find that by constructing the sleeve 13 as above described, the lifetime of the brushes and ferrule may be prolonged indefinitely. I also find that the various parts of the mouthpiece last considerably longer than usual.

The sleeve 8 is provided with feathers 30,

I extending in the general longitudinal direction of its axis, and fitting slidably into a slot 31 within the annular disk 6. This arrangement prevents the sleeve 8 from turning, but does not materially interfere with the function of the spring 7 The sleeve 8 can, therefore, yield slightly in the general direction of its length, but without turning.

The sleeve 8 and parts supported by it I designate as a mouthpiece.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination of a cage, a mouthpiece movable relatively thereto, a normally stationary sleeve extending into said cage and engaging said mouthpiece, a spring ongaging said mouthpiece and said cage for the purpose of allowing said mouthpiece and said sleeve to yield slightly in relation to said cage, a bearing sleeve mounted within said first-mentioned sleeve for the purpose of temporarily housing a brush, said bearing sleeve being revoluble relatively to said first-mentioned sleeve, and ball bearings supporting said bearing sleeve revolubly within said first-mentioned sleeve.

2. The combination of a stationary cage, a spring supported thereby, a mouthpiece supported by said spring, a sleeve provided with openings and engaging said mouthpiece, said sleeve and said mouthpiece together being free to move slightly in reation to said cage, yet being normally stationary, a bearing sleeve disposed within said first-mentioned sleeve and open at both ends for the purpose of temporarily housing a rotating brush, and ball bearings supporting said bearing sleeve within said firstmentioned sleeve.

3. The combination of a sleeve provided with openings for discharging a liquid, a mouthpiece mounted upon said sleeve, a bearing sleeve disposed within said firstmentioned sleeve, ball bearings supporting said bearing sleeve within said first-mentioned sleeve.

4. The combination of a sleeve having openings for discharging a liquid, said sleeve being provided internally with an annular step, a mouthpiece mounted upon saidsleeve and having a portion extending toward said annular step, a bearing sleeve disposed within said first-mentioned sleeve, and ball bearings connecting said bearing sleeve with said annular step and with said portion of said mouthpiece extending toward said annular step.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES K. VOLCKENING.

\Vitnesses lVALrON HARRISON, PHILIP D. ROLLHAUS. 

